The relationship between oral health and cardiovascular disease: a rapid review

This review is part of a suite of reviews exploring the relationships between oral health and general medical conditions to support teams within Public Health England and policy makers. The paper aims is to explore whether poor oral health and cardiovascular disease are found in the same individuals or populations, to outline the nature of relationships between them, and to outline the implications of any associations having reviewed the most contemporary evidence in the field. The work was undertaken by four groups each comprising consultant clinicians from medicine and dentistry, trainees and public health and academic staff. The methodology involved a streamlined rapid review process and synthesis of the data. The results identified a number of systematic reviews of low to high quality, which suggests that there is fairly robust evidence that there is an increased risk of atherosclerotic vascular disease [ASVD] among individuals with chronic periodontitis, independent of other established cardiovascular risk factors. And some evidence that the incidence of caries and tooth loss is higher in patients with cardiovascular disease, whilst orofacial pain presents as the sole symptom of stroke in some patients. The findings are discussed in relations to implications for service and future research.